Parish Council

The purpose of a Parish Council could be described as to focus village opinion, to represent such opinion to the outside world and to carry out on a small scale those local tasks which would be uninteresting or uneconomic for the larger authorities.

Our Parish Councillors

John White (Chairman) Simon Spencer (Vice - Chairman)

Shelley Fell-Bowers Jack Clark

John Gaunt Nick Harland

June Ellis Dave Roberts

Helen Hindess (Parish Clerk)

Parish Council meetings

Any resident may attend a Parish Council meeting to observe. The Chairman will usually give you the opportunity to speak directly to the meeting, although this is discretionary. Ward councillors are invited to attend meetings, as are the Police. Meetings are held every other month in the Chapel, although it may also be necessary to hold shorter meetings in the interim. Details of the time and agenda are posted in the Parish Box, which is currently situated in Cross Lane.

Summary of some Parish Council responsibilities

Play Area

The Parish Council owns the play area on the school playing field, which is accessed via Huteson Lane. The Parish Council has sole responsibility for the safety, maintenance and necessary insurances required to keep the playground safe for local children. A rota of volunteers checks the area weekly and any issues should be reported to the Parish Clerk for attention. An annual safety inspection is carried out by a qualified person.

The Village Precept

This part of your Council Tax is set by the Parish Council and the money collected is used for the benefit of all residents. The precept charge pays for the Clerk’s services, grass-cutting at the Church and the new cemetery, and for the maintenance of the parish clock. A proportion is spent on insurance and membership of the local council association, which provides professional advice when required. Grants are disbursed to the Neighbourhood Watch group and to those looking after the flower displays around the parish. The accounts are open to public scrutiny and are audited by the Audit Commission.

The Cemetery

The Parish Council has sole responsibility for the upkeep, maintenance and management of the closed graveyard at the church and the ‘new’ part of the existing cemetery. The ‘old’ part of the cemetery is the responsibility of the church. The Parish Council also arranges the sale of burial plots and deals with correspondence and other matters with local funeral directors and members of the public.

Julian’s Bower (Maze)

The Parish Council owns the Maze, a scheduled ancient monument. It is responsible for its upkeep, maintenance and management, and the funds and grants received for this purpose. The Maze is managed by a Board of Trustees, which at present includes three parish councillors, two local residents and a local solicitor.

The School

The Community Governor is nominated by one of the three Parish Councils or Meetings in the catchment area of the school. For several years now this post has been filled by a councillor from this parish.

The Church Clock

The church clock is actually owned by the Parish. The Parish Council is responsible for ensuring its regular winding and maintenance. The clock was made at the Harrison workshops in Barton and is considered very rare and attracts interest from far and wide.

Village signs & flower beds

The Parish Council is responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and insurance for all public flower-beds and the village signs. The Parish Council obtained grant support and worked with the local authority to provide the new village signs, which are made of old bricks from Flats Farm.

Low Wells

It has recently emerged that Low Wells belongs to the Parish Council, rather than North Lincolnshire Council. A management plan will be developed for its restoration and maintenance.